Echo
by The Amazing Soup
Summary: We all know about Noble Team.  But what about Echo?


**Author's Note: **All right all, I'm new around these parts and I just thought I'd document a novelization of a firefight game I had the other day. Spartans are OCs. This is not according to the canon so don't hurt me! :x Anyways, on to the story…

Halo: Reach is owned by Bungie.

2200 Hours, Covenant Outpost Uniform, Planet Reach

"Alright! That's it, get clear!" Arc yelled from inside the Covenant anti-air battery.

Arcturus-B223 was the tech expert for our team. He, along with myself, Rachel-B089 the commander, Benjamin-B023 the sniper, and Cody-B248 the heavy weapons specialist, were Echo Team. We didn't officially exist, and ONI made damn well sure I let it stay that way when I was transferred here. I was designated B058. Jeremy. But we were far past being just a team. We were a family, and we had already lost one three days back when this siege began. I never thought that Reach could be found—but it's always the shit closest to home, isn't it?

"We're clear. Going loud in three… Two… One." With that Rachel activated the remote detonator, sending pieces of Covenant tech raining down on us. That was the last battery we had to take care of, and now we were done.

"Command, this is Echo One. Requesting pick up. AA guns demolished." Rachel spoke into her comm as the others and I drifted together, keeping an eye out on the horizon.

"Don't you think there would have been more of these bastards guarding this thing? After all, it was the Covenant's last AA battery for several miles. I'm thinking this isn't over." Cody said, taking off his helmet as he rested his foot on the head of an elite killed in the earlier battle.

"C'mon. You worry too much." I said nonchalantly, resting my shotgun on my back with a slight magnetic click. I took off my helmet and stared into the twilight reflected by its midnight-black visor. According to ONI intel, it was a JFO model.

"I think he's right. I'll keep my eyes peeled." Ben replied, heading into the small base set up by the UNSC before the Covenant attacked. I saw him only a moment later reappear on top of the same base, scanning the bombed out landscape for hostiles. Rachel's voice wafted back into my ears as she approached, giving us the situation.

"Okay team, we can't get that pick-up I ordered, but we're getting a nice ordnance drop-off. Command has reports of Covenant coming through this sector, and we need to waste them. Got it? So grab your guns and buckle up." She said, checking the bolt on her MA37 assault rifle. The team instantly went into action, with Arc priming his M319 and rushing into the beat up AA gun, Rachel barking orders to set up defenses and prime our weapons. Cody joined Ben on the roof, alerting him of the situation and priming his M41SSR Rocket Launcher and myself setting up inside of the building the other two were perched on, loading a clip into my M392 DMR and replacing my helmet.

"Hostiles spotted." Ben said over the come, indicating a low ridge to the right. Soon the low hum of a Covenant drop ship reached my ears, and my enhanced muscles tensed, readying for battle. I peered around my cover—the side of a doorway situated with a perfect line of sight to the LZ. "You know the drill; little bastards up front, big ones in back." Ben continued smoothly as I felt adrenaline pump through my veins in anticipation.

"Get it done, Echo. I want to be back at Command before Noble comes crawling out our ass." Rachel barked through her comm. Noble Team had been harassing our objectives for hours now. Whatever happened to teamwork? I took a moment to lean out of my cover and identify the hostiles.

"I have eyes on grunts and two minors, eleven o'clock." I confirmed, eying the aliens through my scope. My finger ached to twitch the trigger. Each shot was a little bit of vengeance. "Permission to engage?" I queried through gritted teeth.

"Negative. Do not expose our position until we all have shots. I want to make this quick." Rachel replied patiently through the comm. I growled under my breath. I took a series of deep breaths. Control was critical and I needed to check myself.

The aliens creeped towards us, occasionally stopping to inspect something or another. I could feel the intensity of the squad; all of our eyes watched their movements, looking for the slightest excuse to bury a bullet deep in the invaders' chests.

"Now."

At once, everyone fired in unison, cutting through the opposition like so much grass. The elite gave a guttural roar of anger and pain before Cody's rocket smashed into it, scattering gore and purple flesh over a ten meter radius.

"That's how we get it done, Spartans!" Cody yelled, his deep voice holding a note of triumph. Ben butted in.

"Let's cut the celebration for now; w have a phantom on our eight. Up on that hill." He announced, and I looked where directed, seeing another dropship coming in right where the alien squad had just been demolished.

"Shit! Ghost inbound. Bunker down!" Arc shouted into his comm as a ghost prowled up the hill, firing searing plasma at the group. I heard Cody's rich, distinctive laugh over the comm.

"Don't worry your pretty head about it." He said as a rocket wizzed out from his place on top of the building, and I watched its lethal path as it collided with the purple vehicle, sending it end over end into the other in an explosion of blue and pink.

"Helluva shot." Rachel praised him, and dropped a flare on the ground next to where she was by my cover. I rolled around it, lowering my weapon. The silhouette of a Pelican came over the ridge with the promise of fresh ammo.

"This our weapon drop?" I asked, nodding to the dropship coming in fast.

"I sure as hell hope so." Arc retorted saucily over the comm. I rolled my eyes. The pelican slowed, and hovered twenty feet above the ground, dropping three canisters and an anti-air Warthog. I smiled.

"Dibs." I said, walking to the vehicle. I started it, then brought it back to our makeshift command post. Rachel hopped on the gun while Cody mantled into the passenger seat with a grunt. Arc handed Cody a large box of assorted ammunition to put in the 'hog, as Ben came back from the canisters with a shiny new grenade launcher.

"This should do some damage." Ben remarked gleefully. I wouldn't tell anyone about this, but Ben was the scariest of all of us. Ruthless. Cold. Efficient. An artisan of war, really. He would a rip a jackal's head off if it meant mission success. That was why I was glad he was part of our squad.

"Roger that, command, we are aware. Yes sir. We will clear the ground and assist as needed." Rachel's voice broke through my reverie. "Team, a large force of Covenant are inbound to Sword Base, which is only a couple kliks from here. Noble is en route to do some half-assed special ops mission, and we've been tasked to kick the Covenant bastards out of there so Noble won't have as much trouble. Command is sending another warthog, and then we'll be on our way."

As she finished speaking, the Pelican carrying our second transport flew over the ridge. Promptly followed by three Banshees.

"Shit! Banshees! Cody, Ben, take 'em out!" Rachel shouted as she dove for cover from a fuel rod blast that practically singed my eyebrows. The team scattered for cover, as the banshees turned to make a second pass. I pulled my DMR off my back, ready to give those bastards hell.

"Cody! I'd rather you shoot them down _before _I die!" I yelled at the massive Spartan crouching behind a barricade.

"Yeah, yeah, blow shit up. Got it." As the Banshees came around the battery again, Cody carefully aimed his launcher, and took the shot.

The rocket blew off a wing of the closest Banshee, and as it spun out, it collided with a second Banshee behind it. The two conflagrations crashed and skidded mere feet away from where Rachel and I were in cover, then promptly exploded, knocking me back into her, and then into a wall.

"If you don't get off me right now Jeremy, I will shoot you where the light doesn't shine." Rachel; always classy.

Ben helped me to my feet, and Arc helped Rachel up. I wiped the grime off of my visor, and sighed. We had been too late with the Banshees. About a klik away I could see the flaming remains of the Pelican.

"So much for transport." I stated blandly. Rachel brushed past me and hopped into the passenger side of the functioning warthog.

"All right, team, we better double time it up to that Pelican so we can save the crew and maybe even get our ride back." Rachel ordered. "Jeremy. You're driving." As I hopped into the driver seat, the other three looked at each other, then at the gun. Almost immediately, they all raced over to the gun, scrambling to be the first one up.

"Dibs!" Ben yelled as he reach for the turret.

"Hell no! It's mine!" Cody barked.

"Hey!"

"Come on!"

"I don't think so!" Yelled Arc as he finally made it up onto the gun platform.

RERERERERERERERERERERERE

0145 Hours, en route to Sword Base, Planet Reach

Cody and Ben sat glumly between Rachel and I, crammed together. Cody opened his mouth, then closed it, thinking better of it.

"You know—" Ben started, only to be interrupted by Rachel.

"Don't make me turn this thing around." Rachel stated half jokingly.

"There it is. Sword base." I pointed out to the team as we approached the closed gate walls.

"Home to rot, dead bodies, and lots of Covenant." Arc added cheerily, as he swiveled the gun slightly. I rolled my eyes. We had been in the original assault on Sword base, and it was anything but cheery. Battle was fun, but there was always the blood and grit raining on your parade.

I stopped the crammed warthog and hopped out, letting Ben and Cody get out and breathe. As we disembarked, I noticed the distinct carnage of Noble.

"Damn it! I thought we were supposed to clear out the base first! I wanted to play with the little Covies!" Ben whined childishly. Once glance from Rachel shut his mouth right quick.

"You know the drill, Echo. You see a Covie, you blow its brains out their ass, am I right?" Rachel shouted to us.

"Oorah!" We chorused. As we cautiously moved through the gates and up the hill to the base, I got a tingling at the back of my spine. Suddenly, the ground shook violently and I fell on my butt. We all looked around at each other, with the same reaction. Before I could fully get up, we were all sprinting towards the entrance to the base.

Bodies and walls blurred past as we got into the elevator right in time for the power to go out.

"Of course. What now, wait for maintenance?" Arc said sarcastically. I grinned.

"I have just the thing." I pulled a Covenant energy sword from my softcase and powered it up. I knew this thing would come in handy. I kneeled to the floor and jabbed the sword into the bottom of the elevator. As I cut through the thick metal, my internal clock seemed to tick faster and faster. I worked furiously until only the smallest section of the hole was not cut. I stood up and stomped on it, sending the circle of metal plummeting into the shaft.

"Good job, Remy." Cody said as he patted me on the back. I hated that name. Cody took a step past me and jumped into the hole. I followed, feeling the rush of free fall. As we approached the bottom of the shaft, we let our jetpacks rip. Spartans _always _had the best gear.

Cody and I landed with thumps at the bottom of the shaft, and stepped out into the ruined hall, hearing the three thumps of the rest of the team behind us. I replaced the shotgun on my back with my DMR.

We crept into the building proper, a tall affair with winding catwalks and narrow corridors. We went up the first ramp to see a wall was not there where it was supposed to be. Instead there was a long, winding tunnel into the dark.

"Who wants to go into the dark, creepy tunnel first?" Rachel asked. I stepped in, the light on my shotgun leading the way.

"Noble sure did some digging." Arc remarked as we entered what seemed like a giant subway, with a shuttle waiting patiently for us.

We boarded the shuttle, and it whisked us through an immense series of underground tunnels. We arrived at another station, with an immense ice dome and what looked like Forerunner architecture. We were also greeted by hordes of Covenant trying to assault an entrenched position opposite us. I zoomed in with my binoculars and saw the distinct form of Carter kicking a grunt in the face.

"It's Noble! Double-time it, and don't forget to waste those Covies!" I yelled, sprinting for the nearest Wraith. It didn't see me jump up onto it, nor did it see me stick a frag in its exhaust post. I slide in the snow just in time to hear a cacophonic boom behind me as the Wraith exploded in brilliant purple light. I looked over to see Ben literally throwing a suicide grunt into an elite, as its panicked yells were engulfed in an explosion of plasma.

We worked our way tirelessly through the Covenant; flanking, suppressing, and eventually putting them down. We finally met up with Noble, panting and bleeding. I had a plasma burn on my thigh, and boy, did that fucker hurt.

"Good to see you Echo. You're just in time." Carter said to us as his team gathered behind him. It was smaller than I remember.

"I see you brought friends. Good. I can't risk this failing, now can I?" An elderly woman said from behind Carter. It was Doctor Halsey, the person responsible for the original Spartan program. We followed her wordlessly as she led us within a massive Forerunner structure.

We came to her lab and watched the rear while she spoke to Noble and gave an odd canister to one of its members. When they left, we followed, finally getting picked up in a Pelican as part of our new escort mission.

It was time to escort the package to the Pillar of Autumn.

RERERERERERERERERERERERE

0630 hours, nearing Pillar of Autumn launch site, Planet Reach

"Get ready to drop in three! Two! One!" Carter yelled at us from the cockpit. We were in pairs, about to jump out of the rear of a Pelican that was being assaulted by multiple Banshees. It wasn't my worst afternoon.

As Arc and I tumbled down the side of the cliff, I could feel the thump each time my helmet smacked the ground. Finally we came to a stop and we all collectively groaned. We got up, though. We always did. As we sprinted our way off a cliff, a group of grunts began firing at us, calling for the help of an elite. We ducked behind rocks as our shields absorbed most of the blasts.

I peeked out of cover and gave a grunt a taste of buckshot, and it crumpled to the ground as methane poured from its tank. Another grunt's head exploded, courtesy of Ben. The rest of the group was blown into pieces by Noble Six's grenade.

We continued to move up through the slog of what was a highway. As we moved past a road blockade set up by the Covenant, a Scarab confronted us.

"Shit! What do we do now?" Emile shouted.

"I've got your back, Noble." Carter replied as he fired rockets at the Scarab.

"Carter, you don't have the firepower to handle that thing!" Rachel shouted over the comms.

"No, but I have the mass. It's been an honor serving with you, Noble."

"Likewise, Commander." Emile replied sadly. With that, Carter pulled a hard right to turn around, and plowed into the Scarab with an explosion of vengeful reclamation.

We all stood still for a moment, numb. Only Emile broke the silence quietly.

"Let's move out."

RERERERERERERERERERERERE

0800 hours, Boneyard, Planet Reach

"Focus fire on those hunters!" Rachel yelled from behind cover. We were moving through the ship bone yard when hunters came out of the entrance we needed to go through.

Arc moved to flank around a corner of tanks, but was met with a second pair of hunters. Before he could roll out of the way, one of them bashed him with its shield, sending him flying into a shipping crate with a crack.

"No!" I screamed, as I ran towards the hunters. Those motherfuckers would die. If they had killed him, I would make them _bleed _for what they did. With a roar, I jumped on one's spined back. I pull out a frag and shoved it deep into the beast's neck with a squelch. I pulled my gory hand out from its neck and gave it a momentous two-footed kick in the direction of the other hunter. The two exploded in a mass of orange flesh. I then flanked the remaining hunters and unloaded my shotgun into their soft backs. Before they hit the ground, I was at Arc's side.

"Arc! Arcturus! Speak to me, damn it!" I yelled at him as I pulled off his helmet. His face was pale, and his dark eyes looked up at me sadly. Blood dripped from his lips.

"Well, Doc? Will I make it?" He asked jokingly with a rasp. We both knew he was dead. He had punctures from the hunters' spikes in his stomach, and blood seeped from his armor.

"I am honored to be your brother, Arcturus." I told him solemnly as I removed my helmet. We touched our foreheads together. "You'll make it, Arc. Spartans never die, remember?"

"Yeah." He replied, with a short laugh followed by a horrible cough. "See you on the other side, Jeremy. And tell Rachel she owes me twenty bucks." Arc finished smiling. Then he closed his eyes and let out a long breath. I followed suit, and his head rest against the shipping container. It was only then that I realized that all of the other Spartans were behind me. I picked up his dog tags and placed them in my soft case.

I put my helmet on then, and there was no noise. As we battled to the LZ of the Pillar of Autumn's Pelican, I heard no gunshots. All I could hear was my heart beating in my chest.

As Noble Six stepped onto the Pelican, there was nothing.

Nor when I stabbed the zealot in the throat that killed Emile.

It was silent as I lay on the grass near some Godforsaken bunker with my team around me.

I heard nothing when a General stabbed me in the chest.

It was all silent when I died, my soul resting on Reach.


End file.
